Cushman & Wakefield UK | EMEA Payroll Manager

Key responsibilities

• The EMEA Payroll Manager is responsible for leading payroll operations across multiple countries within the EMEA region, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll delivery.
• The role provides leadership to regional payroll teams, manages vendor relationships, drives process improvements, supports payroll transformation projects, and ensures compliance with local regulations, company policies, and governance requirements.
• We only work with recruitment agencies on our preferred supplier list, and only where a signed and in date agreement is in place and the agency has been directly instructed on the role by a member of our Talent Acquisition team.
• Lead end-to-end payroll operations across multiple EMEA countries.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing.
• Manage relationships with payroll providers and key internal stakeholders.
• Act as the escalation point for complex payroll matters and issue resolution.
• Support, coach, and coordinate regional payroll team members.
• Drive payroll process standardisation, optimisation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop and maintain payroll procedures, controls, and documentation.
• Lead payroll-related projects, including system implementations, harmonisation, and transformation initiatives.
• Partner with HR, Finance, IT, and external vendors on cross-functional projects.
• Drive change management and adoption of new payroll processes and technologies.
• Ensure compliance with local labour laws, tax regulations, and company policies.
• Manage payroll governance, risk controls, and SOX audit requirements.
• Monitor legislative changes across the EMEA region and implement required updates.
• Deliver a high-quality payroll service that supports employees and business stakeholders.

Skills & experience

• Significant payroll management experience across multiple EMEA countries.
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, tax regulations, and compliance requirements within EMEA.
• Experience managing third-party payroll providers and outsourced payroll services.
• Proven leadership experience, including team management, coaching, and development.
• Experience leading payroll transformation, process improvement, or system implementation projects.
• Strong understanding of payroll controls, governance, audit, and SOX requirements.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to collaborate across HR, Finance, IT, and senior leadership teams.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Experience working within a complex, multinational organisation.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with payroll and HR systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.

Cushman & Wakefield UK

Cushman & Wakefield UK is an employer hiring in India.

Its finance, accounts, audit and tax openings in India are mostly in London, Manchester and Leeds.